Water wheel



w. M. WH-ITE.

WATER WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 17, P921.

Patente May 30, 1922;

FEEL.

WILLIAM MONROE wa m, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

WATER WHEEL.

aiaiie.

Application filed Januaryl'i', 1921. Serial No. 437,780.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that WILLIAM Mormon WHITE", a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, has invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Water Wheels, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates in general to improvements in the art of constructing and of operating impulse hydraulic turbines,

and relates more specifically to improved means for balancing the rotors of impulse water wheels.

An object of the invention is to provide an impulse water wheel which is simple in construction and eiiicient in operation. ,Another object is to provide simple means for accurately balancing the rotors of impulse water wheels.

In the construction ,of impulse water wheels of the type in which a jet is delivered against successive buckets of a series attached to the periphery of a rotor disc, it has been found almost. impossible in the past to cast or similarly form a number of steel or bronze buckets of relatively large dimensions without having the individual buckets vary in weight from five to ten percent after they have been finished. This difference in weight-of the buckets is due to various causes such as deformation of-the moulds when drawing-the patterns therefrom, or to improper finishing of the rough castings. .In order to eifect the necessary balancing of the rotors, it has heretofore been customary to permit excess pieces of metal to remain upon-the back of each bucket during casting thereof, and to file or chip off part or 'all of this excessv metal from the buckets in order to secure the desired final weight. It is frequently found thatveven the removal of this excess metal is not suflicient to reduce the weight of. a bucket to that necessary in order to balance the rotor, when it becomes necessary to drill,'chip or grind 01f metal from the body of the bucket, thereby weakening the same. Such removal of metal from the buckets, whether it be excess metal or not, is also objectionable since the center of gravity of the bucket is thereby often shifted to such an extent that dynamic balancingof the rotor becomes impossible.

The present invention contemplates provision of means whereby the rotor of an impulse water wheel or the like may be readily and perfectly balanced, regardless of the size of the rotor and without affecting the appearance and strength of the completed buckets.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the method of balancing a rotor in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanyingv and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

- Fig. 1 is a side elevation-of a fragment of the rotor of an impulse water wheel.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section through one of the buckets of an impulse water wheel showing the improved balancing means embodied therein.-

Fig. Sisanenlarged perspective view of one of the buckets of an impulse water wheel, a portion of the bucket having been broken away in order to more clearly disclose the details of the present invention.

The type of water wheel to which the present invention is especially applicable,

comprises a rotary circular disc 3 having a series of'buckets 2 secured to the periphery thereof by means of bolts passing through openings 4, 5. in the inwardly. extending parallel ears 12 of the buckets. Each of the buckets comprisesa pair of. ovoid pockets which are separated by means of a dividing edge, the dividing edges of all of the buckets lying-in a common plane which is coincident with the plane of the axis ofthe jet which during normal operation is de- -livered against the buckets.

At the rear portion of each of the ovoid pockets of each bucket, is located a strengthening rib 6 which extends inwardly away from the pocket and in line with the bucket cars 12. The ribs. 6 of each bucket are connected by a transverse rib 9 which extends inwardly toward the periphery of the bucket supporting disc and transversely ofithe rotor radii. of the transverse rib 9, are parallel guides. 11 which are constructed. to receivebalancing weights 7 8. The weights 7, 8 are preferably formed of different sizes and held against the guides 11 and the adjacent ribs 9 by means of suitable fastening means such as rivets 10.

During construction of the rotor, the buckets 2 are formed and finished as has heretofore been the custom. The buckets are Located adjacent to the inner wall then Weighed individually and sufficient weights 7, 8 are added to each bucket to produce a predetermined definite weight of each bucket. By providing weights7, 80f graded sizes, the desired final weight of each bucket 2 may be made any desired value. The'weights 7 8 are so located that they are all relatively near tothe center of gravity of each bucket, thereby insuring dynamic balancing of the assembled rotor. The weights 7, 8 may be readily secured in place by means of the rivets 10, and are "freely removable upon removal of the rivets. The location of the weights 7 8 is furthermore within pockets provided by the ribs 6, 9 thereby positively preventing the weights from flying away from the rotor in case the rivets 10 should break. The disposition of the guides 11 at an angle to the radii of the rotor, tends to produce compression'of the weights, and to urge them toward the rib 9,'thereby releasing the rivets 10 from stress which might otherwise be induced therein by theaction of centrifugal force. As the pockets within which the balancing weights 7,. 8 are located, are completely closed when the rotor has been assembled,

the'appearance of the buckets is not undesirably affected-by the addition of theweights, and the outside surface of the buckets is improved by eliminating'necessity of roughening as by the -former method of adding or removing metal.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the inventionto the exact details of construction and of the method herein shown and described, for-obvious modifications may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A water wheel bucket having a pocket formed to permit addition or removal of weights tobalance the water wheel.

2. A water wheel bucket having an enclosure formed at the'back thereof by a Web cast integral with the bucket'pockets, and means for attaching balancing weights withinsaid enclosure.

3. A water wheel buckethaving a web cast integral with its rear portion and so disposed asto form with the periphery of the bucket supporting disca closed pocket Wherein Weights may be added for balancing the bucket. j

4:. A water wheel bucket having detachable balancing weights secured thereto.

5. A water wheel bucket having weights secured. thereto adjacent to its center of gravity.

6. A Water wheel bucket comprising a rib I extending transversely of the line of act-ion of centrifugal force upon said bucket, and

weights secured to the inner side of said.

rib..

7. A water wheel bucket comprising a air of ovoid ockets a transverse rib said pockets, and weights secured to said ribs.

10. In a water wheel, a bucket having pair of ovoid pockets, ribs secured to saidpockets, a rotor element secured to said bucket and cooperating with. said ribs to form an enclosed chamber, and a balancing weight 10 cated within said chamber.

11. In a water wheeha bucket, strengthening means associated with said bucket, a support for said bucket cooperating with said strengthening means to form an enclosed chamber, and balancing means for the wheel located within said chamber. 12. In a water wheel, a bucket, strengthening ribs formed integral with said bucket, a support for said bucket cooperating with said ribs to form an enclosed chamber, and balancing weights for the wheel located within said chamber. 1 V

13. In a water wheel, a' bucket, strengthening means associated with said-bucket, a support for said bucket cooperating with said strengthening =means to form an enclosed chamber, and balancing means for the In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is afiixed hereto.

7 Q WILLIAM MONROE WHITE. 

